A former staff, Roger, who supported me for four years from 2012 for English-related support for my business came to Japan with his student for his Iai training.
I remember well the days when we worked together and had a lot of fun talking about it. I was able to set up a meeting with him at an izakaya before he returns home.
June is the end of the fiscal year for Touken Matsumoto. Every year as a way of expressing my gratitude to my staff and business partners and to wish for the next successful year we take an overseas trip. This year, we went to Taipei, Taiwan. We visited many famous places and enjoyed these attractions; Jiufen, where we saw the paper lantern night view, Longshan temple, which is the oldest temple in Taipei and famous for receiving power, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall where we saw the guard change ceremony, and the most impressive sight was the Gugong, where there were many national treasures. The tour guide, Mr. To, was 85 years old. He was very energetic and did not appear his age at all. He explained many things with abundant knowledge including Taiwan’s history, culture and economy. I learned of the strong connection between Japan and Taiwan, and even to Mr. To who was born who was born in 1933 and seemed even prouder of the Japanese people more than us. From now, refreshed with this great trip, I will do my best for another year and will look forward to our next overseas adventure in 2019!